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THILL COUPLING No. 367,354. Patented Aq-g. Z, 1887.

, l Van [Dr UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFF-ICE.

EDWARD H. AUGSPURGER, or WOODSDALE, OHIO.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,354, dated August 2, 1887.

Application filed September 16, 1885. Serial No. 177,289. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. AUGSPUR- GER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodsdale, Butler county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill- Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to thin-couplings for carriage-shafts, its object being to produce a which- Figurel is a side elevation of the device with the axle sectioned; Fig. 2, a rear elevation of same; Fig. 3, a front elevation sectioned through the shaft-pivot; Fig. 4, an under plan view of the device; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the rear nut detached; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the front nut detached; Fig. 7, a per spective view of the wedge-block detached;

Fig. 8, a perspective View of the spring de tached. 7

Referring, now, to the accompanying drawings, A designates the axle ofthe vehicle; B, the clip; 0, the clip-plate; b b, the clip-bolts; y, the yoke-jaws of the thin-couplings; S, the thill or shaft end; 1), the pivot of the coupling. These parts are substantially of the ordinary construction, except as hereinafter specified.

The element of my invention designed to prevent the noise of rattling consists of a wedge-block, W, of the form shown in Fig. 7,

inserted between the jaws g of the yoke, be-

hind the shaft-coupling, and held downward behind and against the thill-pivot by a spring, S, hereinafter described.

I prefer to use a pivot rigidly attached to or forming part of the thill-iron S, (as indicated in Fig. 3,) and to out a slot or opening in the embracing-loops oryoke-jaws y,to allow the thill iron to be taken out or put in at will. When in place, the thill-pivot is held by the wedge -block W against removal, and also against its socket-bearings,to. take up lost motion and prevent rattling.

The spring S is formed of wire bent as shown in Fig. 8, and attached in the following manner: The forward nut, b, of the clip is provided with lateral extensions e forming a cross-bar, against which the spring S,when in position, impinges, and which serves as a fulcrum upon which the said spring S acts as a. lever to hold the wedge-block \V inplace. The rear nut, b, of the clip is provided with lateral arms 6, curved in book form,,under which the projecting ends of the spring S is passed and secured, the curved loops of the spring being thus held in compression and the force transmitted to the wedge-block XV, as stated.

In attaching the device to vehicles already provided with the ordinary thin-couplings, the spring, wedge-block, and nuts are theonly new parts provided. The yoke-openings in such cases are usually'made of extra depth to admit a rubber block, or a part so made may be enlarged sufficiently to admit the wedgeblock W',which is then placed in the j aw-opening behind the thill-iron. The nuts I) b are then placed in position and the spring S put in place.

In constructing the invention new, I prefer,

. as stated, to use a fixed pivot as part of the thill-arm, and cut an opening in the yoke-loop for convenient removal of the shafts from their bearings and the interchange of double and single shaft attachments.

1 claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of the detachable double-coiled spring S and the block W, having a head or projection, t, for engaging the end loop of the spring, constructed and arranged as shown.

2. The combination, in a thin-coupling, of the block W, engaging behind the pivot in the jaws of the coupling, the double spring S, curved backward, engaging'the block W in the end loop, and having acoil in 'each arm, with the laterally-extended nut I)", constituting a fulcrum for the spring, and the laterally-extended nut b, constituting holding-abutments for the projecting arms-of the spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In a thin-coupling, the combination of the thills provided with fixed projections or pivots, the open jaw-sockets adapted to receive the same by dropping into position from above, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my the Wedge-block \V, extended forward above hand in the presence of two subscribing witthe thin-pivots to retain them in position in messes.

the open sockets, and the detachable spring EDW'ARD H. AUGSPURGER. 5 8, arranged below the coupling to retain the \Vitnesses:

wedge-block in position by a downward press L. M.,HOSEA,

ure, substantially as set forth. 0 D. KERR. 

